


Come back to me

by azure_lemon



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Female Loki (Marvel), International Fanworks Day 2021, M/M, POV Steve Rogers, Shapeshifter Loki (Marvel), time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29317035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure_lemon/pseuds/azure_lemon
Summary: When Loki was invading Earth, he already knew who Steve Rogers is. Maybe it was because of the research he made before the attack or maybe the reason for that was one of the much more personal nature.
Relationships: Loki & Steve Rogers, Loki/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 34





	Come back to me

**Author's Note:**

> What’s that? An Forstiron shipper writing a Frostshield story? Yes, your see right. It’s my input for International Fanworks Day as the lesser known ship. It’s nowhere near as popular as for instance Thorki or Frostiron and I think the dynamics between Steve and Loki offers quite a lot to still be explored. I haven’t noticed any other work about this pairing for the IFD 2021, so let’s do it. BTW, today's also the anniversary of the day I created an account on here, so it's a double celebration.  
> Captain America complaint (generally), Avengers partially complaint. Tagged both F/M and M/M because of Loki's shapeshifting.

_The soldier. A man out of time._

_(The Avengers, Loki and Steve's first interaction)_

Steve has never been the biggest fan of bars, but he got used to them from obvious reasons. He smiles as he sips his beer, watching his Howling Commandos having the time of their lives. They’re probably right, the time is limited as their job is exceptionally risky, so they do their best grasping every moment and living it to the fullest. The room is dimly lit, but he catches Bucky with the corner of his eye, dancing with a petite girl, saying something to her, probably boasting about his heroic deeds. Steve envies him that easiness in contacts with fairer sex. Even after he became muscular, popular and superhero, his still deeply ingrained fears stop him from picking up the girl for a non-commitment date. He doesn’t feel good enough for any of them. Except that, he still clings on his dreams about the one and only waiting for him, of the woman who is destined to stay with him for evermore, to start a family with, to grow old together, who would love him because he’s Steve, not Captain America, the symbol, the serum-enhanced supersoldier. 

There is Peggy, who appeared in his life unexpectedly, to make a lasting impression. He admires her, sometimes thinking she is twice a soldier he would ever been. She made a name for herself in a world dominated by man and never needed any miraculous substance to boost her abilities and that’s enough to make him hesitant. To make the matters worse, he has a rival in his affections. How the ordinary boy from Brooklyn can compete with somebody like Howard Stark? Steve wouldn’t blame her if she chooses the great pilot. It is pretty obvious even for usually oblivious in these themes Captain that Stark has feels for her. Steve admires her spirit and determination, enjoys her company immensely, cares for her, she is undoubtedly strikingly beautiful, but in the same time he isn’t sure whether what he feels about her is love. Maybe it’s for the best, because he considers himself being beyond her league.

Actually, he almost panics every time a woman tries to flirt with him. He feels terrible about it, but in such moments it’s like his common sense stops working. He knows he needs to overcome it, but facing the most terrifying monsters doesn’t have such an intimidating effect on him.

As he takes another swing of the beer he hears a commotion behind his back. Instinctively, he turns to the source of it, bracing himself involuntarily for the fight, but it turns out he might have overreacted a bit. The situation is obviously unpleasant and Steve wouldn’t be himself if he wasn’t ready to intervene, but thankfully it isn’t a Red Skull attack. It’s only the lady harassed by the man whose company she certainly doesn’t wish and makes it very clear, but he refuses to leave her in peace.

Before Steve knows it, he already barks at the man, ordering him to take his friendly advice and do as the woman tells him.

‘’Why do you care?’’ The man asks. ‘’It’s not your business.’’

‘’I don’t like bullies,’’ the supersoldier replies. He had repeated this phrase so many times in his life that it comes to him automatically in the situations like that.

‘’I’m not the bully,’’ the man protests petulantly, in the way which resembles Captain the spoilt child, used to getting what he wants.

‘’The Lady told you she’s not interested, but you kept harassing her. It makes you the bully,’’ Steve informs him curtly.

The aggressor looks like he hesitates whether to say something more, but after eyeing Captain’s muscles, he backs down, muttering something angrily.

‘’I would have managed,’’ the lady speaks up.

‘’I know you would,’’ he replies, admiring her shiny dark hair, lips coated with dark ruby lipstick and thick eyelashes. She’s by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. ‘’But there was no need to strain yourself over this barbarian.’’

She smiles approvingly.

‘’Good answer. Are you usually such a gentleman?’’

‘’I try to be,’’ answers the super-soldier modestly. ‘’It’s the right thing.’’

The woman extends her hand.

‘’I’m Louise.’’

‘’Nice to meet you, Louise, I’m Steve,’’ he replies, shaking it. ‘’Would you like to finish your drink with me?’’

‘’With pleasure.’’ She motions to his half-empty glass. ‘’I think I’ve interrupted your date with this beer?’’ She half-asks, half-states.

‘’That’s nothing,’’ he replies. ‘’Could you tell me what such a beautiful girl like you is doing here all alone?’’

To his own great shock, he doesn’t have any troubles with chatting with this stunning creature.

‘’Are you suggesting me I need protection?’’ she asks, tilting her head, letting her jet black lock fall on the one side, baring her swan neck.

‘’What I’m suggesting is that you look like you have a plenty of willing companions to spend an evening with.’’

‘’It’s later than an evening,’’ she remarks. ‘’Everybody wants to be alone…sometimes…’’

‘’Do you wish me to leave?’’ Steve tenses. The last thing he wants is to force his company on somebody who clearly doesn’t desires it.

‘’Plans sometimes change,’’ Louise answers. ‘’I’m glad I met you, gentleman.’’

In the meantime, Bucky stops dancing and stares with disbelief on Steve and his beautiful companion, but Captain is too focused on the woman to notice that.

The time in good company always passes faster, but the supersoldier doesn’t count minutes or hours, hypnotized by Louise’s smile. There’s something captivating in the way she talks, she moves, she looks at him. She makes him feel so comfortable in her presence, like any other woman before.

‘’Would it be improper, if I’d say you’re exactly my type, Steve?’’ she purrs, as they dance in the slow motion. She resembles a cat with her big, emerald irises. ’’Tall, blond, muscular. Like a Viking, almost. It reminds me of home and better times.’’

‘’Are you not American?’’ He inquires.

‘’It’s complicated.’’

‘’Indeed, your accent is rather…Foreign. Are you British? Half-British?’’

‘’I might be anything you want me to be,’’ the woman replies seductively. The touch of her cold hand almost makes his skin burn.

The supersoldier laughs nervously.

‘’Where are you from, originally?’’ He tries.

‘’Scandinavia,’’ she says ominously. ‘’Let’s just say it’s Scandinavia.’’

‘’All right,’’ Steve mutters. This was a clear sign not to push the subject.

‘’Stay safe, soldier,’’ she says. ‘’War is not the place for the weak, but you are the man who has more than sheer strength. Wars aren’t won by muscles, to win you have to think, you have to plan, you have to plot.’’

There’s something in her tone that makes him think she knows what’s she’s talking about from experiences, but asks no more questions.

The war is raging, the causalities list seems to be endless, the Red Skull is lurking, but this night he is just happy with Louise by his side and he would gladly stayed like this forever, caught in this moment.

***

Louise seems like a dream, perfect dream, coming to give him strength and hope and vanishing with the first sunlight, after giving him one last kiss. Sometimes Steve wonders whether she was real in the first place. She just seems to perfect.

The life goes on. He feels almost guilty about spending the night with mysterious woman, about whom he barely knows anything, as his loyalties should lay with Peggy, but then, he loses Bucky and doubts he will ever get over that blow, making the love matters take the second plan.

The war gives him no time to mourn, keeping him in action, he almost dies and when he opens his eyes it’s only to be informed his mission is the distant memory, but there’s a new fight waiting for him and Steve wouldn’t have be himself if he said no.

Loki is like no other villain he had ever seen, but the rules are the same and Captain just follows them because this is what his heart tells him to do. The evildoer is confined in the prison of glass, but Steve’s gut feeling suggest him it’s not over, it’s not even nowhere near over. So far nothing goes smoothly. He doesn’t understand these people, he knows he doesn’t fit in, he’s in the middle of the argument with the son of Howard Stark (he’s still processing that thought) when he’s approached by Nick Fury, bringing the news of Loki insisting to see him.

‘’Me?’’ The supersoldier questions and after receiving the confirmation asks why him, of all the Avengers, of all the people.

‘’This is just the question I’ve wanted to ask. He asks for you and only you, as if you were important to him for some reason. Any idea, Thor?’’ Fury turns to the Thunderer, but the latter just shakes his head no.

‘’Maybe he wants to confront Captain after standing against him,’’ he suggests. ‘’Anyway, this is our chance to find out something about Loki’s plans. Maybe he slips something to you.’’

Stark can’t help but chime in.

‘’Better than sitting uselessly and criticizing people who really do work here.’’

‘’I didn’t criticize your work,’’ Steve snaps back, his patience wearing pretty thin. This day was tiring enough and even with his extra resilience he can’t help but dream about a while of respite.

‘’Captain, just go,’’ Fury orders. ‘’The cell is perfectly secure.’’

‘’I’ll be fine,’’ Steve replies off-handily. ‘’I’ll really be,’’ he promises more cheerfully, forcing a smile on his weary face. He feels guilty about acting the way he did, so he does his best to look apologetic and leaves. The transition to twenty first century is the hard one and as much as he tries, he still needs more time to accept things as they are now, not how he remember them, but time isn’t the luxury he is granted. He needs to fight, cause it’s his duty to protect, to stand against evil and some part of him wants to do it, to forget about the people he lost, the world that doesn’t exist anymore. It was far from perfect, but now, in this strange reality, Steve misses it sorely. He enjoys the possibilities future has to offer, he really does, but he isn’t sure he belongs to it, or what’s worse, whether he’ll ever belong. His time was seventy years ago, no matter how odd it feels, but right now he isn’t sure he would fit back in even if there was the way to send him back in time. He got stuck between two époques and he is only the boy who wished to protect his country. Bucky would laugh if he had a chance to find out. The memory of the fallen friend, mate and nearly brother sends a sharp pang to his heart. He forces himself not to dwell on this subject. Bucky is gone, no matter how much he wishes it wasn’t true.

Steve barely notices he reached his destination. Loki gives him an unreadable glance through the glass. Captain sincerely hopes this visit will pay off. If Trickster summoned him only to mock him or waste his time, Captain won’t be responsible for his actions and the Norse deity might actually be lucky to be separated by a thick, impenetrable wall.

‘’I’ve been told you wanted to see me. Care to enlighten me why?’’

His voice is clipped, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t need to be nice to enemy. More, he shouldn’t be nice to enemy. Once more the memory of Bucky resurfaces. What would he say if he happened to see a scrawny boy from Brooklyn so changed?

‘’Maybe I felt lonely?’’ Loki asks in the almost conversational tone.

‘’If you want me to tell you a bedtime story, this is the wrong address,’’ Steve scoffs.

The Aesir chuckles.

‘’Good to know you haven’t lost your sense of humor since the last time we met,’’ he says.

‘’In case you’ve forgotten, we met today,’’ Captain reminds him coldly.

‘’Did we, Cap?’’ Loki leans on the glass, glancing at the blond Avenger expectedly. ‘’Of course we did, but I’m talking about before.’’

‘’I’m pretty sure I would have remembered if I’ve encountered an alien on a killing spree before,’’ Steve replies, but he has to admit he might be a bit intrigued.

‘’Appearance is often deceptive,’’ the prisoner says with such a tone as if he was in the middle of the polite conversation in an elegant place, not in a cell under a constant supervision. ‘’Look at me, Captain.’’

For the first time since this exchange of words started, Steve gives a closer look at Loki’s features. Indeed, there is something vaguely familiar about them, especially about these emerald eyes. Wait, emerald? Not that he had paid much attention at them during the fight and flight back to America, but something is different.

He rubs his temples. He’s so drained, it’s almost exhausting. It isn’t even about the physical aspect, it’s more the other side of events that wore him so. Thor is probably right, Loki is just playing with him. Good as any other entertainment when you’re locked with not much more than your own thoughts. Steve isn’t even angry at him about this, he is obviously furious about the loads of other things Loki has done, but not this one. After all Loki is the God of Mischief, it’s in his nature to play tricks on others.

‘’I think you and I are very alike, Captain,’’ the Aesir speaks up again.

‘’You and I are nothing alike,’’ Steve replies almost automatically. ‘’You’re the monster.’’

Loki sends him a mock-offended glare.

‘’You wound me, Cap. I checked your backstory, you know? You made quite an impression on me the last time. We’ve been both outcasts for the larger parts of our lives and I have every reason to believe you’ve got a lot of pent-up anger and frustration behind that pretty smile. Trust me, Cap, I’m not to judge you.’’

Steve opens his mouth to protest, but no words come out of his throat, mostly because Loki is right, no matter how much he hates that fact.

‘’I know.’’ The invader talks to him in almost sympathetic way, even his hard glare softening. ‘’It’s not how you imagined life would ever be.’’

‘’You’re messing with my head,’’ the supersoldier chokes up on words. ‘’I’m not going to tolerate that any further.’’

He turns back on Loki, when he hears the fallen deity shouting after him.

‘’Despite the circumstances, I’m actually glad to see you again. After all, it was supposed to be a one-time thing both for me and for you. A perfect time, but one night only. Too beautiful to last, wasn’t it?’’

Steve freezes mid-step.

‘’Louise?’’

This name leaves his mouth before he knows it.

‘”Hello, Steve,’’ he hears. ‘’It’s been a while for both of us, but it’s a pleasure to see you in the good shape.’’

The Avenger turns back.

‘’How? Why?’’

Loki smiles mischievously, starting to shapeshift on the supersoldier’s eyes.

‘’Magic, Captain. This particular ability comes handy rather often. I know you had enough to take in the short time, so this revelation shouldn’t change much.’’

‘’I don’t understand,’’ Steve admits, probably sounding more lost than he’s willing to show.

‘’It’s all right, Captain,’’ Loki says comfortingly. ‘’Asgard may be unwelcoming place for the ones like me, the shapeshifters, magic users, so I sometimes found my way to the Migdard, or, if you prefer to call it, Earth. It was my shelter.’’

The American’s mouth is suddenly very dry.

‘’Why try to take over it? Why wreak havoc and kill people?’’ His eyes are firmly fixed on the invader as he demands the answer.

‘’This is why I called for you to come, Captain. I don’t assume you came across the name Thanos?’’

Steve shakes his head and Loki starts with his story.

‘’As I’ve had my Spectre taken from me, I’m back to my senses,’’ he ends. ‘’I’m still mighty pissed at Thor, but that’s between me and my brother. I don’t wish to destroy your beautiful realm. However, let me warn you, as the act of my good will, the danger is ahead of you, waiting to attack. I know you’re the man of honor, Captain, I’m risking my life and more telling you this, but I trust you to use this information in the right way.’’

‘’You barely know me.’’ Steve’s voice is barely above the whisper.

‘’I know you enough.’’ Trickster stays silent for the moment, before speaking again. ‘’You remind me of my first love. He was a Viking, who wasn’t afraid to get engaged with the other man. I could have shapeshifted, but I wished to see whether he could accept me in my true form.’’

‘’This story didn’t have a happy ending, does it?’’

‘’No, Captain, it didn’t. No matter how happy we were together, he was a mortal. This couldn’t have worked.. After his death, a death of the warrior, I came back to Asgard. I was still very young back then, had no idea what to do when I lost my only light in the life. Asgard was my home and I was grieving. I’ve never found any proof, but I have reasons to think Odin was involved. Now, however, my soldier, it will be different.’’

‘’How? I’m the mortal too.’’

‘’This can be fixed. The point is, now I’m older and wiser, which means I know what I want.’’

‘’What do you want, then?’’

‘’Stability to my chaos. My polar opposite. Light cannot exist without dark, good without evil. You’re an embodiment of stability, Captain, with your iron-clad rules, your righteousness, your honor. I’ve been waiting for you. Come back to me.’’

Loki’s long fingers touch the glass, tempting Steve to do the same.

‘’We need to check your story,’’ he says, using all his will not to melt at the Aesir’s easy smile.

Loki nods with understatement.

‘’It’s fine, Captain. I’ve been waiting for so long it won’t make a difference to me, but hurry for your own sake. Chitauri won’t stay idle, with me or not.’’

The supersoldier sends him a small smile, before walking away.

‘’I’ll inform you about our decision,’’ he promises.

Despite the gloomy news, he’s oddly hopeful.

‘’Steve?’’ The shapeshifter calls after him. ‘’You believe me, right?’’

Captain turns back to him.

‘’Yes, I do.’’

‘’Come back to me, will you?’’

For the first time since he woke up in 2012 he has somebody to come back to.

‘’Yes, I will.’’

His heart tells him this is the right thing to do.


End file.
